I think we should probably talk about how KDub "failed" us. Maybe that will help us develop our expectations for Hopkins.

"Walter didn't draw any attention away from Andre." Or something similar is often said about KevinWalter, the real question is why not? & will Hopkins be able to provide that?

Kevin Walter was on the field for a reason & it wasn't his blocking ability. He was better at something than our other options were, what was it? & will DeAndre be able to provide that as well as that thing we were missing?

Well, look at KW's decreasing numbers. This is why I think he became expendable.

At his best, he was getting 800+ yards per season in 2007 and 2008. Then he dropped down to about 500 yards per season in 2011 and 2012. That's just not getting it done.

What KW brought us was a guy who blocked well, ran the right routes, and then caught the ball when it was thrown to him. Back in his prime, he made some great catches. If the ball was close, he caught it.

Since then? Not so much. He was still OK but not as clutch as he had been.

I expect Hopkins to be that same sort of player. I expect him to run precise routes, be where he's supposed to be, and catch the ball. He might not be as good a blocker at first, but I expect him to develop into a good blocker. But more importantly, I expect him to get better separation on his routes that KW.